An Introduction to Neuro Linguistic Programming

Neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP, was developed by John Grinder and Richard Bandler during the 1970s. Bandler and Grinder originally set out to study what set highly effective psychotherapists apart from the others in their field. What they ended up with was a methodology for self-improvement all its own.

NLP is different from traditional self-growth methods, positive thinking, and psychotherapies in that it focuses on what work, and relies on a method called modeling to copy and teach success. It sometimes disregards what we might believe to be true or false, and works off of certain presuppositions.

For example, it presupposes that if you want to make a change in your life, that you have all the resources that you need. Other presuppositions include things like there is no such thing as failure. As Tony Robbins tells us, you're either getting the results you want or you're not, but failure doesn't really exist.

As long as it is useful, it doesn't matter whether or not the presupposition is actually true. For example, you don't ask whether or not a tool is true before you use it. You simply pick up a hammer and a nail and use it.

Another presupposition in NLP is that people work perfectly. In other words, even a drug addict who is on the way to killing himself is working perfectly (at killing themselves).

Some therapies seem to turn people into victims by reinforcing a belief that they're in some way damaged or broken. In a sense, this gives people an excuse to make mistakes in the future and repeat negative behavior.

For example, let's say you believe the following... I'm a poor learner, so I have trouble learning. Until I fix my problem with learning, I won't be able to learn. You're now a victim of your self proclaimed limitation. So you spend all your time on trying to fix your learning problems and not on actually learning anything. Often, people who have these self-imposed limitations absorbed them from other people, and they are not at all real.

Instead of looking into why someone is a bad learner, neuro-linguistic programming would instead have them focus on modeling the behaviors and beliefs of people who are good at learning. Remember also that another presupposition of NLP is that you have all the resources at your disposal to make a change.

As Talane Miedaner writes in her book, "Coach Yourself to Success" there's a similar principle used in life coaching that the "present is perfect." It essentially forces you to start from where you are and empowers you to make changes, rather than turning you into a victim.

Another premise of success used in NLP is the fact that if someone can achieve success at something, then it can be modeled and achieved by someone else as well. Since NLP is based on what works, and not just a theory, it also uses the idea that if what you're doing isn't working, then adapt and change what you're doing.

One of the most famous students of neuro-linguistic programming is Tony Robbins. Tony became very well known for showing people how to achieve quick turn-arounds in their lives, and developed his own brand of self-improvement in part, based on NLP techniques.

If you're looking for a practical, positive approach to life change, then NLP may just be for you. There are a number of free resources online where you can learn the basic techniques and principles, and many practitioners you can work with to take things to the next level.

About the Author

Author Kurt Schmitt writes for a website that includes quotes on success and a number of articles on neuro-linguistic programming training This and other unique content 'neuro linguistic programming' articles are available with free reprint rights.